Dresses & Silly Verses
by maf2192
Summary: Brittana. Santana's POV. After she confronts Finn in the hallway, events quickly unfold and threaten to destroy her world. Takes place during the Mash-up episode.
1. You Made A Fool Out Of Me

_A/N: Hello! With this fic I'll try and go more in depth into Santana's life (her family, her relationship with Brittany). I'll update as soon as I can, and I hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoy writing this. Feedback is always appreciated. Don't forget to follow me on tumblr: halfwayaroundthisworld is the name :)_

"Love you baby, gotta run-"

Click. Santana sighed into her cellphone, trying to hold herself together. She kept it next to her ear, trying to savor those last few words. Keeping herself from calling Brittany again and begging her to come over. But she was right, there was nothing to worry about. No one heard what was said in the hallway. There was so much noise in the background. Or maybe it was her own head which produced a high timber as the words in his mouth were put together, one following the next in a pattern of spite and pure stupidity. White noise overcame her ears and her own limbs stopped blindly, each muscle numbed, knocked out of any sense of purpose. The only thing left in her body at that very moment was fear, distilled from any other emotion that she might have possessed.

"_Hey Santana" _Her grip on the cellphone tightened, and the small bell Brittany had tied to the cover produced a minute sound, dangling gently in a purple string, keeping her in the present. Santana's eyes were fixed on the open window next to her bed. The words came back to her so easily.

"_Why don't you just come out of the closet?"_

Santana flung herself on her bed, looking intently at the ceiling and trying hard to forget that strange feeling that had penetrated her as deeply as the words that echoed in her ears, produced by the voice of a stupid boy. A weak minded idiot, who, despite his intellectual capabilities, had Santana Lopez hanging by a thread, wondering, dreading… that his voice had reached an elevated tone. That other prying eyes might have watched the scene in the hallway, that people might start talking. She wouldn't care, not really. She had Brittany at her side now, even if only as a beautiful secret. She had come to realize that people would talk, no matter how she decided to come out.

What drove her senses to oblivion was if people started talking _now_. She still needed time to figure things out, time to find the right moment to speak to her parents. Because God knows she had not the slightest idea how they would react. And her abuela, she had a feeling she would be easier to talk to… and she was even more convinced that despite everything, she would stand by her. Hell, she might even be the one to help her tell her mom. All she had asked for was for a little more time. And Brittany knew that.

To Santana's demise, at least for the time being, the graceful blond girl she had seen grow into a beautiful woman was the only one who understood. Time is precious.

A knock on the door woke the girl hurriedly from her thoughts, and still lying sprawled on the bed she raised her head to look at the door. She had lost track of time, and by the looks of it her mother had come home early.

"Hija? Well what are you doing, lying in the bed like that? Is there no homework to be done? Is Brittany hiding under the bed?" Dina's voice edged playfully as her eyes wandered around the room, half expecting to hear a giggle betray her daughter's lips.

Santana sighed and blacked out her thoughts, she didn't want her mother, of all people, to pry on a matter that was making her grow uneasy by the second. "No, remember we're not ten anymore" she sat on the bed, hand still holding the cellphone, in her mind clutching at the hope that Brittany may be thinking of her. "She had to go to some family reunion or something, but maybe she'll drop by later". At these last words her voice failed her, the possibility of her coming was just a foolish hope. She needed Brittany to wipe out her worries. She was the only one who could provide the drug she needed. A simple kiss would do.

"Okay, okay… I just forget sometimes how much you two have grown" Her mother's hand lay passively on the doorknob, and as she was about to leave, she threw the door open again in a jolt. "Oh I almost forgot! Your father left this morning, he had to fill up for a colleague so he'll be in New York all weekend… he left you a little gift" she nodded in the direction of the desk, and Santana couldn't believe how she had completely missed the small box as she came back from school. Before she could say anything, Dina was out of the room, and all she could hear were heeled feet thumping in the direction of the master bedroom.

As Santana pulled on the green ribbon holding the white box together, she wondered if karma was making her pay for 17 years of being a fully fledged bitch. She had been waiting for this weekend for days now, she knew both her parents would be home. No conferences, no appointments, no priorities. She thought that maybe, this would be the perfect time to tell them about her feelings. Britt had even suggested being there with her to alleviate the nerves, which had turned into a small discussion between them, as Santana was repulsed at the idea of exposing her girlfriend to a bad reaction. In the end, after a succession of sweet lady kisses and Santana helplessly pinned to the bed Brittany got her way. She couldn't help a smile escape her lips. '_She's always getting her way lately.'_ But even then, all of her plans for a nice dinner for four were over.

All this had made her realize, that even though she had lived under the same roof with her parents, they were more like strangers to her. Not that she didn't have a good relationship with either of them, but in the end she learned from the beginning ways to escape that house, and before Brittany decided to turn her world upside down, her grandmother's house had been her home.

"What in the-?" Santana took the dreamcatcher from the box and examined it from a distance, letting the feathers dangle in the air. She had seen them before, but they were much larger and the threads that ran around the centre had different patterns. This one was much smaller, and Santana couldn't help but smile at the note that came with the unusual gift:

[I was told they keep away bad dreams. Maybe they also grant good ones. Dad]

"If only Dad…" she stopped short from making any foolish wishes. Only because there was an apparent trait for superstition in her mom's side of the family did not mean that she would believe in any of this stuff. If Leprechauns didn't make the cut before, nor would this spider web amulet.

Nevertheless, she placed it next to her bed, _'for the time being_', and remembered with reluctance how she still had to go through the mash-up Ms. C had prepared. The black dress Britt had helped her pick out was already hanging on her closet, and it fit perfectly around her waist after her abuela made some changes on the fabric. The dance moves were simple enough, and for a strange reason every time they finished practicing she found her heart racing inside her, giving way to a small hint. Like a secret she couldn't quite figure out.

The only thing left was for her to go through her lines one last time and be ready for tomorrow. There was one particular verse that she struggled with, surprisingly. It wasn't exactly that she didn't reach the note, but a problem with taking in breath. During rehearsal she choked up twice… but then again it could have been that she was distracted, by the words of one Finn Fucking Hudson.

She ran her fingers through piles of unfinished work that would have to wait 'til later, and finally found the sheet music, slightly crumpled from the edges and notes scribbled all over the sides with neat, quick strokes. What caught her eye immediately was a small red heart, standing out among the print of black and white, drawn by another, next to the title of the song that would win them the competition: **"Rumour Has It / Someone Like You"**.


	2. Behind Closed Doors

Time dragged on surprisingly fast in Santana's mind. Her eyes were so captivated by the notes on the pages, noticing each decadence in tone and every elongated syllable, that she missed the sun as it disappeared from view and gave way to a bright crescent moon. She had never been so intent in perfecting every single detail of her songs before, always confiding that she would sound great with or without practice. But the printed words turned her stomach, and she started to think of possibilities. Possibilities that were completely out of her control, because her life no longer belonged to her solely, not really. Brittany was that other part of her, that she had heard her abuela describe countless times as a "media naranja"1… a soulmate.

"_I heard… that you, settled down… that you, found a girl and you're married now…"_

Brittany was her own person, and by God she couldn't understand how she was so patient with her. How she stayed by her side, even when she continued to keep her in the shadows, as a whisper. How Santana was able to speak her mind about everything else but her own feelings was beyond her. High school is just a phase in life, something we all have to get over and done with before we can really open ourselves up to the real world. What if Santana was just a phase to Brittany? A childhood sweetheart that would eventually be forgotten and put aside? What if Brittany was able to let go? Santana had known for a while now that she couldn't. She had given away her heart quickly and without question. _But Brittany…_

Her grip on the sheet music loosened the moment she heard the faint doorbell that her dad had neglected to fix for more than a year. "It's so freaking late already… who-?" Santana mumbled to herself, interrupted abruptly by the chime of her cellphone lying in front of her on the desk. The screen lit up to one beautiful word… a name. Brittany. As she checked the message, her body gave a slight jolt and the sheet music fell to the ground as she ran to her window.

**Knock knock :)**

As she leaned outside the air blew gently into her hair, and her eyes quickly searched the front porch for any kind of movement. Brittany quickly backed out from the front door, knowing Santana would look out that window. She always did. Brittany's face was beaming in the moonlit night, her hair falling gracefully on her shoulders, wearing one of Santana's shirts. She waved excitedly, but then turned her attention to the door.

"Hi Dina! I hope it's not late for a visit" Brittany's voice edged playfully, biting her lip. She managed to hide the smile that she saved carefully for Santana, but was still worried her eyes would betray her. If there was one thing she knew well, is that mothers tend to have a weird sixth sense. Dina couldn't help but chuckle at the sight in front of her, Brittany looked like a little girl asking for permission to stay up late.

"Oh don't be silly! Santana told me you might be coming anyways" She gave her a wink as she hugged her and let her in the two story house. "I'll be down here if you girls need anything" Without another word, Brittany jumped up the stairs in a second, abruptly stopping at the last step when she realized Santana was waiting at the top. They stood there, silent, Brittany looking up for once, and feeling the soft caress of Santana's eyes, gently running down her figure. Brittany placed her right hand slowly over Santana's, both resting on the rail, and letting out a small sigh at the touch of their skin.

"Well well, I never knew I would be taller than you" Santana broke out with a triumphant smirk.

"You. Wish." Brittany took the last step of the stairs, letting out the words in a whisper and making her girlfriend fall back in rendition. It was her turn to smile. Brittany moved her hand up to her neck, moving closer and leaning in to steal a kiss. Santana had lost the battle, staring intently into bright blue eyes and waiting for the one thing she had been yearning for all day. Brittany was moving too slowly, or perhaps it felt like time was about to stop. As their lips were about to meet, an urge shot into Santana, making her shiver and let out a small breath of air.

"Not here" Santana bit her lip, hating herself for pronouncing those two words. Brittany leaned back, blinking twice and suddenly understanding the tone of alarm in her girlfriend's voice, looking down the stairwell to ensure Dina was out of sight. She quickly grabbed hold of Santana's hand, leading them to her room and closing the white door in an instant. Santana was about to speak when Brittany gently interlaced their hands together and pushed her against the closed door, only giving herself a second to smile before closing the gap between their lips. Santana felt completely helpless, Brittany holding her prisoner, gently sucking on her lower lip and slipping her tongue into her mouth. All she could do was let out a small moan. Brittany's lips travelled slowly to her girlfriend's neck, placing gentle kisses on smooth tanned skin.

"How about here?" Brittany sighed out the words just below the girl's ear, as she started to deepen her attack on Santana's neck, tempted to leave a mark behind and imagining Santana walking around with a scarf for a whole week. Santana might walk the halls of McKinley High like she had dragon skin, hard and impenetrable. But Brittany knew well that it didn't take much effort to bruise the girl.

"Mhmm" Santana hummed as she pulled her girlfriend closer, wrapping her arms around Brittany's neck and closing her eyes. Blond hair fell over her shoulder, and the girl stopped when she considered the bruise would be dark enough in contrast to the tanned skin.

"How was the reunion?" Brittany shifted and locked her eyes with her girlfriend.

"It was … alright I guess" She shrugged, leaning in to steal another kiss from lips tasting of vanilla ice cream … or flowers.

"You don't sound convinced. AT ALL"

Brittany pouted her lips, retreating them both to sit at the edge of the bed. "The food my uncle Ben cooks is always weird looking, and I didn't like how I hung up on you. How are you?"

At those last words, Santana looked away, and for a moment her gaze fell on the sheet music that remained on the floor, taunting her. She had lost count how many times she had read through the words, and regrettably making them her own… adding her worst fears to a simple song.

"I've been better" Santana laughed quietly, sighing ghosts into a breath in hope that they might leave her alone. The amount of time she was wasting on the "accident" earlier that day was getting the best of her. But now that Brittany was here, beautiful and smiling with icy blue eyes, she felt better, like it was all just her being a paranoid idiot.

"Have you been crying?" Brittany scooted closer to her, grabbing her chin with her hand and forcing the girl to look at her. She noticed in their proximity that Santana's eyes were slightly around the edges, her nose a soft shade of pink.

"Adele is one tough bitch, is all. I've gone through our mash up so many times that I couldn't help but get into it. I won't be listening to her album for a while after tomorrow. Hey, is Sugar also torturing you will endless texts about how freaking nervous she is, or is it just me? If she sends ONE more text I swear - "

"San, don't leave me like this. It's alright if-"

"I'm okay"

"Fine" Brittany nodded to herself and unlocking her grip of Santana's hands, as if making up her mind about something. Santana eyed her suspiciously, when there was a knock at the door.

"Ladies, do you need anything? I know it's late, but I'm going to Sara's house to have a talk with her, she's in pieces the poor thing, you know Santana the girl who got married last spring? It's been a disaster and she needs someone to help her go through with the divorce and I'm talking way too much" Dina waited, expectant for an answer.

"Thank you Dina. I was actually on my way… it's getting pretty late." Brittany said this with regret, but knowing that she would leave if she was not needed.

Santana froze and searched for Brittany's eyes, but they remained focused on her mother.

"So soon? But you just got here!" Dina looked over to her daughter, surprised at the turn of events. She was almost sure the girls would arrange a sleepover, like they always did.

"Yeah well I was just dropping by quickly" Brittany rose from the bed and started to move to the door when she felt a hand take her wrist gently, grounding her in place. She turned around to look upon dark brown eyes, that were intently looking at hers and searching for some kind of explanation. Santana moved on instinct, a coldness started to enter through her skin as the idea of Brittany leaving came into her mind.

'_I do need you'_ She wanted to say so many things, then and there. If Brittany left now, she would not be able to breathe, even dare to close an eye the whole night. The warmth she felt would go away, and all she would be left with would be the cold dark thoughts that threatened to drive her crazy.

'_I'm not okay'_ She wasn't. Not since that afternoon in the hallway.

"Stay" was all she could breathe out of her mouth, quietly, pleading with her eyes. Brittany knew very well that Santana was not okay, that she needed her. Her eyes spoke a million words into one single glance, a glance that in itself broke Brittany's heart. She hated to see the girl so broken and confused, and even more the thought that she felt absolutely helpless at the possibility that someone might have overheard Hudson.

Dina gazed for a second more than she had wanted. The tone in her daughter's voice alarmed her, how sweetly she spoke to the girl in front of her. How sincere. With a firm grip on the door handle, she looked away, suddenly feeling like she was intruding in a matter that did not concern her.

Brittany looked at her for a moment, taking in what had happened. Her eyes grinning an _'I love you'_ in response. As an unspoken reality.

"Okay. I'll stay"

1 soulmate, your other half.


	3. Rumour Has It

A/N: Finally got around to completing the third chapter. Sorry that it took so long for me to update, I promise I'll try and update sooner. This chapter is slightly longer than the previous ones, and I will be writing from Brittany's point of view from time to time. (I find it hard to write her so bear with me) Flashbacks will be in italics and bolded, just to be sure. Again, these characters do not belong to me whatsoever, they are property of Ryan Murphy and FOX.

Brittany loved to have her arms wrapped around Santana's waist. Smelling her hair of a sweet scent she could never really describe, flowing locks of hair resting on the pillow. The few times she awoke during the night, she smiled at the sound of Santana humming, sleeping soundly next to her. What was new to her was how she shivered, like she might be cold, or maybe a bad thought had invaded her dreams. When this happened, she pulled her even closer and kissed her shoulder softly. If kisses were good for the heart, maybe they could also drive bad thoughts away.

Because of that, it was really hard to slip her hands away from her girlfriend when morning came. Not that she worried about waking her, Santana's sleep was so heavy a meteor could fall in front of her house and she would not budge. But seeing her lying in bed like that was definitely one of Brittany's favorite things.

Feet bare, she felt the old wooden floor, stretching as her morning routine in front of the bed. Her hands moved gracefully to her legs and down to her feet. She felt each bone in her body come back into place, relaxing and preparing for the big number they had that day. As she moved quietly, with a stealth she had learned from Lord T himself, she gave a wrong footing and her hand thumped heavily on the bed.

"Crap!" she cursed and froze in a ridiculous pose, eyes wide and arms outstretched in front of her, looking at Santana and hoping she had not woken. Lucky for her, Santana sighed and curled into a ball, and from where Brittany was standing she looked so small, like a kitten. She looked at the clock on Santana's desk, blinking soundlessly in a green hue. 6:03am. Santana probably forgot to put the alarm as usual, or maybe she just expected Brittany to wake her up like she always did when she slept over. This had become more and more frequent from the day Santana finally realized they were actually dating. _Silly_.

"Hey sleepy head" Brittany whispered softly, kneeling at Santana's side of the bed as she brushed a lock of raven hair from her face, feeling warm skin with her fingertips. Santana frowned and opened one eye to catch Brittany looking at her, completely awake and expectant. She closed it again, burying her face on the pillow.

"Mm"

"Wakey wakey" Brittany moved her fingers to scratch her head, using tricks she had learned a while back.

"'Mbacktobed" Santana tied the words in a mumble, half awake, a part of her mind still dreaming of better times. Still, she had never been a morning person, her mind always taking too long to function.

"San"

"Nooo"

"Santana Lopez!" Brittany was forced to use her last resort, finding the silhouette of her girlfriend's waist among the bed sheet, and in an instant Santana was squirming with laughter. How it reminded her of the times when they were younger… fearless… and stupid. Brittany had always been one to experiment, especially when she was a kid, so she had no problem in asking Santana anything she might have been curious about. By that time however, they were inseparable.

**_"Hey San… are you ticklish?"_**

**_"Hm… I guess everyone is"_**

**_"I'm not"_**

**_"Oh don't be a liar Britt. EVERYONE is ticklish"_**

**_"Just try, I won't even smile"_**

In a succession of trial and error, Brittany turned out the winner. Santana… not so much. The slightest touch in the wrong spot would make her squeal and she would eventually start begging for mercy. Brittany knew this. She checked more than once, just to be sure.

"Okay I'm up! I'm up!" They may have grown out of many things, but Brittany was glad to know that some things still stay the same, nooks and crannies that only she knew about.

—

Brittany jumped in surprise as she heard her name pronounced loudly inside the bathroom. She was already ready, waiting and loitering around the room. She had found the dream catcher lying on the bedside table, and was playing with it, letting it dangle in the air. She knew what they were, and most importantly, she knew they were made of magic. Santana suddenly appeared, towel wrapped around her body and hair damp. Small droplets of water still hung on to the tanned skin, shining with the light that came in from the windows. Brittany traced her eyes from Santana's pointed finger to the side of her neck. A masterpiece.

"Brittany!"

Brittany couldn't contain her laughter, Santana staring incredulous and waiting for an explanation. "We've talked about this! I'm always careful with you and now I'm going to have this through all the freaking week. Christ if Puckerman or Trouty so much as glance at this I'm NEVER going to hear the end of it"

"Oops… sorry San it's just that… I couldn't help myself" Brittany pouted her lips and tried to look at Santana in sadness. Santana tried to glance away from the girl, but blue eyed locked with hers and she sighed deeply, keeping the towel from falling to the ground.

"No no, puppy eyes are out of the question. You have to promise to be more-"

"You just taste soo nice"

"Britt… uh- nevermind. You have to at least help me cover it up with makeup or something" Santana stammered out the words, remembering how Brittany had barged in and kissed her the night before. _Why am I complaining again?_

Brittany couldn't help but giggle at Santana, blushing profusely and a perfectly shaped hickey on her neck. "Yes ma'am" Brittany leaned quickly to kiss Santana on the lips, then placing another right on top of the dark spot.

"This isn't funny" Santana tried to keep a straight face, but seeing Brittany like that just made her giggle the anger away.

—

**10:00am**

"Well well, someone's been busy…" Santana would recognize that voice anywhere. It haunted her, like the plague. First and second period had been the slowest classes of her life, and she loved to take a breath from all the boredom when she went to her locker to pick up her books. Maybe not the locker itself, but Brittany, who never failed to give her back an ounce of happiness as they chatted lightly between classes. That made interruptions completely unacceptable.

"What on earth are you talking about Noah?"

Puck raised Santana's perfect ponytail, side-eyeing Brittany who was in the next locker taking her books out.

"No layers of makeup can fool the Puckmeister" He was especially cocky this morning, flicking a finger through Santana's neck and looking at the fresh matte powder on his thumb. "See?"

"Get off Puckerman" Santana was bewildered, cursing in her head at how stupid she had been in letting Brittany bite her that hard.

"Oh? We're not denying it are we?" Puck smiled wide and proud at his discovery. "I won't ask for names… for now" He winked at Brittany who was intently looking at the exchange between the two. "I'm just… sad is all. You never let me leave those on you" At that, Puck leaned close to Santana, who put her hand in front of her as a barrier.

"You're disgusting" Santana held her head up high, not afraid to challenge her extremely annoying… friend. She had to admit she appreciated his uncommon humor, even though sometimes she felt that her relationship with him was a double-edged dagger.

"I will have you reminded… you still dated me" Puck's grin grew wider, white teeth shown in pure triumph and amusement.

"Get off my case Noah… I'm not in mood" As Santana sighed, Puck tilted his head in confusion. He was expecting a full blown come back from the small girl, they always seemed to bright up his day. But somehow, he saw something different in her demeanor, something he couldn't quite put his finger on.

"Okay, okay! Truce!" He backed off, turning his attention to Brittany.

"Hey B, how're you holding up with being a traitor and all?"

"Better now that I know we're going to win the mash-up!"

"Ha yeah yeah we'll have to see about that blondie" Puck made a move to leave.

"Ladies, it's always a pleasure" He bowed exuberantly, making Brittany giggle and Santana smile lightly, and left down the corridor in an overconfident style. Her classes might be running slowly, but the hours until they would have to perform Adele were coming in close, and Santana felt strangely insecure about it. Her hand enclosed over her locker door for support, as she let her mind drift from the hallway and everything else around her.

"We're gonna win this thing" Santana jumped a little, forgetting Brittany was still there next to her.

"Hey" Santana was forced to look over to blue honest eyes, as Brittany placed her hand over hers, gently rubbing her knuckles with her thumb.

"Yeah, I know" Santana whispered, but the words pronounced didn't make much difference. The fact was she didn't know. She didn't know a lot of things, and the pressure made her want to scream.

—

**11:15am**

"My Tots! Babies what have I done without you?" Mercedes' cry was audible around the cafeteria and Santana laughed beside her, leaning towards the healthier choice. She always found it hilarious that the salads and tots were always placed next to each other, leading some to temptation and leaving others guilty of choosing the deadly "food" Mercedes happened to love so much.

"Hold on Wheezy, those things aren't going anywhere! Or maybe they are, considering how much grease they have I bet they're alive" She shivered at the thought of it. Mercedes rolled her eyes at her, too happy in the return of her beloved tots. In all honesty, it's not that Santana didn't want the calories on her, but the taste that seemed to drive everyone insane just didn't cut it out for her. As she leaned in to reach for paper napkins, an arms shoved into her.

"_Dyke"_

The word was almost a whisper among the noise surrounding her, but she heard it loud and clear. A husky voice, bitter and challenging. Santana spun quickly to look around, but among the huge crowd she didn't see anyone who could've said it. She furrowed her brow, trying to recall what had happened seconds ago. Perhaps she was starting to imagine things, she could've easily misunderstood what she had heard. Or did she?

"San?"

"Hm? Wha?" Santana popped her head in the direction of her name. Brittany looked expectant.

"I said… my parents are gonna be gone for the weekend…" Brittany spoke slowly, making sure Santana understood every word of that sentence, frowning at her unusual state.

"They- they are?" Brittany was the only one who could take her mind off her increasing paranoid thoughts, placing her full attention on the girl in front of her.

"Yeah silly, what's up with you today?"

"Nothing… really. So parents are leaving my damsel all alone?"

"Yup! Tubbs and I get the house to ourselves" Brittany's face lighted up substantially, she wanted to be with Santana as much as she could.

Santana couldn't help but roll her eyes. Lord Tubbington might as well be Brittany's odd uncle, always rubbing his fat nose where he wasn't wanted. She would have to make plans to lock him in the basement so his paws remained completely out of reach from her girlfriend.

"Christ… why do I always forget the existence of that damn cat?"

"Oh San, promise you're gonna play nice" Brittany grabbed Santana's forearm with both her hands, closing in on her with a pleading grin.

"What? I… didn't realize I was invited" Santana feigned seriousness, playing a game with her eyes and finally both cheerleaders breaking out in a gasp of laughter. Santana would have done anything to stand on her toes and reach out for a simple kiss from Brittany. Instead, all she did was grab hold of her hand, if only for a moment.

"Hey you two! Let's get going, Sugar already found us a table" Mercedes waited for them, holding a tray filled to the top with tots and a bottle of water. She glanced for a second in the direction of their interlaced hands, breaking out in a small grin. Santana's eyes searched the jungle of people and spotted almost instantly a thin figure dressed in animal print and tight black pants jumping up and down, her eyes wide in excitement and signaling to the vacant chairs in front of her.

"Calm the fuck down Big Spender, you do know popping pills with alcohol is not the way to go right?" Santana said, as they made their way through the crowds of people and sat down in front of Sugar.

"I couldn't sleep at ALL last night! I was too nervous about the mash up so I had to drink like three Red Bulls this morning and now I feel way better and- "

"And you decided to fill my phone with a thousand voicemails?" Santana interrupted harshly, in an instant quieting Sugar.

"Hold up… you too?" Mercedes looked at Santana for reassurance, then letting her eyes land on Sugar. "Girl, having my number on your list of contacts is a privilege. Don't waste it." Sugar flinched, mouthing a silent "sorry" at both of them and letting her eyes fall to the food in front of her. She felt a gentle nudge on her foot and looked up to a smiling Brittany, who winked at her. "Forget about them, they're just as nervous as you" her words passed unnoticed by the other two, who were intently looking for the New Directions table among the crowd. Santana then caught a glimpse of Finn, standing in front of the others and giving what looked like a pep talk. She hated how he clenched his neck from time to time, and his ears were burning in determination. Her eyes wandered a little more to those of Quinn, who raised her hand and smiled at her friend, and Santana unconsciously returned the greeting, remembering the reasons they were eating at separate tables. She wanted, no… she needed to be a part of a group were she was treated equally. If it was bad enough under the strict regime of the Hobbit then it had just worsened since another came along, a gel loving nuisance who was committed in taking all the solos for himself. She was genuinely happy for Kurt, even a little jealous, but she just couldn't stand the fact that she was being overlooked. And not only her, but Mercedes, Quinn, Tina. She would never understand how the latter never complained about the Berry & Anderson show. Still, Santana looked at Quinn and the others, noticing the vacant chairs, and couldn't help but fill her mind with the idea of being back in the group.

As they finished their lunch, a short Cheerio passed by her right side, and she instantly recognized who it was. Alice Brennan, one of the few Cheerios who kept mainly to herself, and yet one of the best on the team. Sue had even considered her for the position of Team Captain at the end of the year, and had threatened to leave the team when she found out she hadn't been chosen. _"You're just not good enough"_ was Sue's simple answer to the hurt girl, not a single muscle in her face moving in sympathy or even pity. And now, like the rest of the Cheerios, she was dancing in the Adele number to help with the choreography Miss Corcoran had come up with.

"Alice!" Santana called out to her before she could get away. The girl turned slowly and she had a genuine look of fear in her eyes, as she approached their table.

"Hey S-Santana" Alice averted her eyes, trying her best not to look in the direction of those penetrating brown orbs, catching a glance at Brittany and finally deciding to look down at her hands, shivers tracing her skin at the attention she was getting from the four girls.

"I need you to check that the others are ready for this afternoon, dresses, shoes, everything. Tell them that we're meeting in the auditorium just after sixth period" Santana looked expectant, waiting for an answer, when she felt Brittany give her a slight nudge on the elbow.

Santana cleared her throat. "Please, Alice" She gave a small smirk, which faded once Mercedes snorted, trying to contain her laughter. Sugar looked intently, her eyes darting from on cheerleader to another, the effects of the energizing drink still running through her bloodstream.

"Yeah, sure. I'll uh… see ya later" Alice scurried off quickly out of sight, Santana finally turning her attention to the girls sitting with her.

"San, did you notice how she was acting all weird?" It was Brittany's turn to look confused, she had always had the impression that Alice was confident and not the least shy.

"No, weird how?" Santana tried to avert the question. She had definitely noticed something was wrong, but there were too many weird things going on around her already.

"I dunno, just…" Brittany looked at the direction in which Alice had disappeared, a strong presentiment slowly pressing down on her chest.

"…Weird"

—

**1:49pm**

Brittany hated the feeling of being in silence as she grabbed her books for History from her locker. Santana still hadn't shown up, and they usually walked together to the last class of the day. As she rummaged through her bag, she noticed the assignment that was due that very day was not there, banging her head softly on her locker door, remembering she had left her homework at her house.

"Why, why do I always forget to bring my work to San's house?" Brittany mumbled to herself. "She's gonna kill me, she's gonna kill me, she is going. To. Kill. Me." She jumped as she heard rushed feet stomp right next to her and skillful hands meddled with the lock.

"Who's gonna kill you?" Santana was breathing hard, she never liked to be late for her classes. "Ugh I hate Mr Schue why does he always rant about things I really don't care about? I'm seriously gonna ask to skip that fucking class."

Brittany leaned on the lockers as she closed her own, closing her eyes and trying to find a good excuse to give the teacher.

"Miss Hill… I forgot to bring the homework! I left it right on top of my desk, but then I came over to your place and… ugh maybe I'll tell her Lord T ate it?"

"Again? Britt you should've sent me your homework when you left your house and we could've printed it at night…"

"Yeah well I didn't know if I was staying over or not. It doesn't matter, hurry up!"

Santana sighed. "Okay if Miss Hill says I'm late _I'm_ going to kill her!" Brittany laughed at the exasperated look in her face as she pushed books in and tried to juggle the heavy history volumes in her hands. Her eyes wandered around the hallway and she saw Becky walking straight towards them, smiling brightly when she saw Brittany looking back at her.

"Hi Becky!"

Santana turned and gaped at the girl in front of her, squinting and expecting a snide remark. She never understood how Brittany tolerated her, perhaps the fact that she didn't have to share her post as captain with her made all the difference.

"Santana, Coach wants to see you in her office" Becky pronounced loudly, an evident reluctance in her face as she was ordered around by Sue to do anything and everything.

"What, now? Can't it wait?"

"She said it's urgent" With those last words, Santana sighed heavily, she didn't think she was in the mood for any of Sue Sylvester's rotten humor. This day was getting weirder by the hour. Becky didn't respond, and both girls knew that there was no changing her mind, if Sue wanted to see her at that moment she had to go.

"Can I come with?" Santana switched her attention to Brittany, smiling slightly at the girls' offer. Brittany on the other hand just wanted any excuse to delay getting yelled at by the history teacher, and in the process find a good excuse to get an extension.

"No no, you don't want Hill any more angry than she is going to be with you, just tell her I'm with Sue okay?" Brittany pleaded with her eyes, but Santana only grabbed her arm and squeezed in reassurance, offering a few sweet words before turning the other way in the direction of Sue's office. "See you in class"

On her way there, she built multiple scenarios in her head, not having the slightest idea what Sue might want from her. In all honesty, after four years under the command of the eccentric coach, she expected anything… but the sight of Sue, Mr. Schue and Burt Hummel all patiently waiting for her in that small room caught her by surprise.

"Um…" Santana was left speechless, not sure if she had to wait outside or if she even had heard Becky correctly. Sue's voice woke her up from her sudden trance and brought her back to what was happening. They all had a weird look on their faces, was it pity? Concern?

"Santana, please take a seat"


End file.
